Friday, February 27, 2009

COMEDY DIVING AND THE AQUA ZANIES

Photos very generously supplied courtesy of Bertha and Frank Campisi



The Aquacade audience at the Flushing Meadow Amphitheatere in 1952








This is clearly not the same group of Aqua Zanies who appeared at the Flushing Meadow Amphitheatere in 1952 but it should serve to give you an idea of what their material was like. I remember some of these same gags being done at Great Adventure's diving show back in the 70s and getting me into trouble with the lifeguards at the YMCA when I tried to imitate them.



6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The theme was usually keystone cops or some stooge from the aydience trying to show off and they would use the old dolphin theatre here at six flags chicago back in the day even circus world in florida called it the aqua circus yeah im a circus geek

Mat Coes said...

uh, how wrong is it that the 'Aqua-Zanies' are at the Flushing Meadow Amphitheater?

Mike Naughton said...

The top video music is the overture from Jerry Herman's Broadway musical MACK AND MABEL, the story of the Mack Sennett ad Mabel Norman love affair.

The music "Look What Happened to Mabel" was used for Billy Barton and Bobby Davis' burlesque comedy number, "The Washer Women".

The music, "The Big Time" from MACK AND MABEL was used for the rolling shot of the clowns at the outdoor makeup table for the CBS TV special of RBBB Clown College.

The television special was directed by the LEGENDARY BROADWAY director, Joe Layton who directed the original Broadway productions of THE SOUND OF MUSIC and ONCE UPON A MATTRESS.

Mr. Layton directed BARNUM, also THE THREE MUSKETEERS revival in 1984 which starred RBBB ringmaster Chuck Wagner as Athos.

Irvin Feld and Kenneth Feld were producers of BARNUM and THE THREE MUSKETEERS. Ringling Clown Barbara Nadel appeared in BARNUM.

Small World, Isn't It? Small World, the tune, is from GYPSY.

Mike Naughton said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike Naughton said...

I can't help myself...

Jack Klugman worked with Tony Randall in the ODD COUPLE; Tony Randall hosted the Disney World Circus of Celebrities (early 80's?).

GYPSY, had new songwriter STEPHEN SONDHEIM, who rose to great acclaim and later wrote INTO THE WOODS, which starred, as Rapunzel's Prince, Ringling blue ringmaster, Chuck Warner.

Mike Naughton said...

this is a corrected posting which orginally appeared BEFORE the previous posting...

Gypsy, A Musical Fable, starring Ethel Merman, contains one of American Musical's greatest rhymes.

When Rose (Ethel) meets Herbie (Jack Klugman of later ODD COUPLE fame), she realizes that they make a very attractive couple, especially since he is gainfully employed.

She sings with great conviction (here's the rhyme):

We have so much in common,
it's a phenomenon.